


His Heart-daughter

by Vjha



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Good Severus Snape, Parental Lucius Malfoy, Regulus Black Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23900245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vjha/pseuds/Vjha
Summary: Lucius Malfoy makes a mistake, and wants to rectify it. Hermione Granger just wants a safe place to stay.It is by an accident of fate that two individuals, so different in everything, except for their loneliness, find family in each other.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy & Hermione Granger, Lucius Malfoy & Severus Snape, Regulus Black/Severus Snape, Sirius Black/Lucius Malfoy
Comments: 17
Kudos: 103





	1. Prologue

The guilt was suffocating him. 

Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, in all his years as a death eater, had managed to avoid doing the one thing he considered unforgivable - he had avoided harming any child. The details of Severus' home life had cemented his resolve to never harm a child. When Lucius presented Severus to the Dark Lord, Lucius had truly believed he was saving Sev - the scrawny child he had started seeing as a little brother. Malfoys were not known for their fertility, and Lucius had always wanted a little brother. Lucius had sworn he would protect Sev.

It was just a shame, Lucius bitterly thought, that he never managed to follow through on his promises. 

After confronted with the realities of the Dark side, Lucius had retreated into a shell. He focused all his efforts on politicking favor for the Dark side, praying the Dark Lord would not force him to dirty his hands more than they already were. By luck, he had managed to keep his vow to never harm a child. 

That is, until, the fiasco with The Chamber of Secrets this year. It was his own actions - not actions coerced by a Dark Lord - his own actions led to multiple children being in grave danger, including his son.

Lucius wanted to throw up.

His overwhelming guilt motivated him to leave them the notes. 

It was a simple note. Were the recipients pureblooded, they would realize the importance of such a note from the Lord Malfoy. However, as luck would have it, most of the children - after growing up in a predominantly muggle household - would dismiss the note as hollow words.

Only one child would be desperate enough to try using the note, and as she would find - his words were sincere. 

_ Should you ever be in a trying situation, if you write an address and a time on the back of this parchment with firm intent, it will be delivered to me immediately, and I will do what I can to assist you. _

_ Wishing you a speedy recovery, _

_ Lord Lucius Abraxas Malfoy _


	2. The parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Harry Potter was not the only one who had escaped his house the summer before second year. While Hermione's parents had been understanding through all the oddness that had colored Hermione's childhood, magic had pushed them over the ledge so to speak. 

The summer before second year Hermione's parents had sat her down and told her in clear terms exactly what they thought about magic.

"Hermione," her mother had said, "there are other ways to become extraordinary without having to rely on magic."

Her father had added on "Besides, what will we tell the relatives when they ask. That you go to a magic school. They'll think we've gone mad!"

Hermione had begged for her parents to understand. Perhaps, it had been Hermione's fault for showing so much excitement over different branches of magic - things they could not relate to. She had felt the distance growing between herself and her parents, but she had not known why. She had been completely unaware of what her parents thought of magic. They had told her magic was the easy way - the lazy way. They had not seen it as the gift she had seen it as. Had her parents been hiding these thoughts all along? Did they not realize that by rejecting magic, they were rejecting her? After all, magic was a part of her. She was born with it. 

Two days before the train would leave her parents had given her the ultimatum: if she left for Hogwarts, she should not bother to come back. She had assumed they had uttered those words in the heat of the argument. 

So, she had slipped in the middle of the night, taken her trunk, and had been about to leave when she caught sight of her father. He was sitting on the little rocking chair in the living room - the same rocking chair which he would sit on with Hermione on his knee and read to her. More often than not he would read scientific papers rather than fairytales. 

"So, you've decided to leave."

Hermione shakily nodded.

In a quiet voice, he said "Don't come back. Jean is pregnant, you know. We'd like this one to be normal. Here, this is a check of 2000 pounds. It should take care of you till your magic government decides on what they're going to do with you."

Handing her the check, he left. Had the lights been on, he would've seen the tears welled up in her eyes. Hermione could only stand there trembling till she gathered her strength, and she too left. 

Still Hermione had held hope that perhaps her parents would come to their senses by the time second year was over. It still hadn't registered to her that her parents would abandon her.

Only when she was standing on the train platform with her trunk and no one to greet her did she finally understand they would not accept her. Once she had regained her wits, she took a taxi to Leaky Cauldron. 

Aware that her presence in Leaky Cauldron as a minor without a guardian would cause unwanted questions, Hermione looked for other more questionable establishments, specifically ones on the outskirts of Knockturn Alley. As she had suspected, when she asked for a room at Ebony's Web (one of those more questionable establishments) and showed that she had the money, she was given one with nary a question. And from what she had gathered, it was cheaper than Diagon Alley's accommodations, if also a bit more uncomfortable with more dangerous occupants (she was almost 95% the gaunt man that had flashed his fangs at her was a vampire) and only the very bare necessities of what qualified as shelter. Still, it was a roof over her head. 

Running through the calculations, Hermione realized that she only had a month till she would run out of money if she continued living at Ebony's Web, and that was if she limited herself to a meal a day. As she pondered on this problem, she remembered the note she had found on her bedside table when she had woken up in Hogwart's Infirmary. 

Hermione didn't think anything would come of it. Harry had told her of his interactions with the Malfoy Lord. But, Hermione couldn't help but wonder how it would hurt. Lucius Malfoy was dangerous. However, he seemed to be the better of the options if he agreed. Hermione had a hunch that if Headmaster came to know about her situation, he would force her on her parents, as he had done with Harry. She had no wish to go where she was unwanted. 

Lucius Malfoy hated Dumbledore. Draco had practically shouted the elder Malfoy's disdain for Dumbledore through his behavior and attitude towards the Headmaster. It was possible that he would help her just to secretly one-up the Headmaster after the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. 

So, she wrote " _ Ebony Web, Knockturn Alley 5 P.M. Today _ " on the back of the letter he had sent her, and watched it crumble to golden dust. 

And then, she waited. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


	3. Meeting at Ebony's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People have been so encouraging on here. I am a college student and a perfectionist. The college student had a lot of work to do. The perfectionist is still not satisfied with the chapter I am posting right now. But, because of how supportive everyone has been, I am posting this. 
> 
> Hence, please be kind and patient with me should I take time in updating again. Also, I would like to give assurance that while I might take time to update, I never abandon my stories. It annoys the perfectionist in me.
> 
> Thank you for appreciating my writing. It is doing wonders for my self-esteem.
> 
> However, please don't hesitate to suggest improvements.
> 
> Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Upon entering Ebony's Web, Lucius immediately spotted Hermione. She was too different from the other residents of the inn. Making his way through the overcrowded collection of the misfits and criminals that the Wizarding World, he sat down in front of Hermione.

Hermione had been reading to kill time while waiting. When she heard someone sit down next to her, she found Lucius Abraxas Malfoy sitting across from her. 

She gave a polite smile. "Good Evening, Lord Malfoy."

She felt awkward in this situation, but she thought it would be best to behave with civility even if that civility was unreciprocated. 

"Miss Granger, may I know what this is about?" 

Stalling, she said, "I require your assistance. Your letter said I was allowed to request it."

Lucius' brows furrowed. "I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It's just I did not expect anyone to use the opportunity. And of all that I offered this to, you were the last person I expected to accept my offer. " 

He did not say that he believed she must be truly desperate if she reached out to him. After all, there had been more than enough time before Summer Holidays for the Potter boy to fill her head with prejudice against him. 

"To be honest, I would have never even thought you were an option until you left that letter. But I have known I am in dire straits since last summer."

"Please elaborate. " 

"My parents haven't taken kindly to my magical education. They want me to lead a non-magical life, and I refused to do so."

Lucius was a bit surprised that this happened to the boy-who-lived's best friend. But it was a common enough situation among muggleborns. Such situations were not publicized, but if a muggle family did not accept their child's magic, some muggleborns would ask to have their magic bound, so that they could return to their muggle lives. Magic can not be controlled without proper outlet and education. In those cases, the Ministry would have the muggleborn in question sign a contract saying that they were fully aware of the consequences and effects of taking such action.

Lucius did not think muggleborns stole magic as some pureboloods of his ilk. But he found their lack of respect for magic reprehensible. Miss Granger had already distinguished herself in this regard by standing up to her parents for her magic. 

"Have you told Potter or Dumbledore?" 

Hermione's mouth twisted. "I did not want to trouble harry. He has his own issues to deal with. And..." she paused. "I don't trust Dumbledore to not send me back to the Granger house. I don't want to go back to somewhere I am unwanted." 

Lucius already knew from experience with Severus that Albus would do this, but he was curious. How had Hermione come to this conclusion? 

"Why would you think he would send you back?" 

She looked away evasively. "I know another student in my situation who was sent back." 

Lucius wanted to pursue the topic further. He had a feeling that even if he pressed for more information, Hermione would not reveal anything. Instead, he asked, "Then, what would you like from me?"

"A place to stay during the summer and help with misleading Dumbledore into thinking that I am still with the Grangers."

"And funds?" 

"I can find work."

Hermione was not lying. She had no friends, so she had taken odd jobs to support her reading habit. Her budget for books was far more than anything her parents had been willing to provide. And books had been getting more expensive. She would have to cut on buying books during the summer, but the Hogwarts Library would sate her during the school year. As long as she budgeted, she could take care of herself. As for schooling fees, the Muggleborn Fund took care of those. To combat any financial troubles that might prevent muggleborns from completing their schooling, every muggleborn's schooling was paid for. 

Lucius frowned. "I think not. If you will be my ward, you will be my ward properly. I will take care of your expenses. And provide you with the necessary education required as a ward of the Malfoy house. " 

"I don't want my presence to be revealed." Hermione objected. 

Lucius calmly refuted, "No one will know, but it would still be dishonorable to not treat you as a ward of the Malfoy house when I had already offered to help you." 

"What about Draco and Lady Malfoy? Will they know?"

Lucius didn't trust Narcissa. And, at the moment, Draco was far too immature to be able to swallow the secret, and not let it out. 

"No."

Hermione wisely did not ask for his reasons. After all, Lucius was acting as a benefactor and a generous one at that. It would be best not to spoil her privileges.

"Would that be all, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, Lord Malfoy."

Standing up, he said, "Then, I will pick you up tomorrow morning at 8 to take you to your summer home. Be ready."

"Goodbye, Lord Malfoy."

Looking back at her once, he said, "Goodbye, Miss Granger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


End file.
